On May 4, 2023, 3-year-old Jordan Reed's mother, Billie Mosier, called 911 reporting that her son was unresponsive at their residence on Maple Street in Battle Creek, Iowa. The child was transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove and then to Children's Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was pronounced dead on May 5, 2023. An autopsy determined the cause of death was strangulation. Mosier initially told investigators that Jordan had strangled himself on the chest strap of his car seat during an eight-mile drive from Ida Grove to Battle Creek. However, the autopsy findings were inconsistent with this explanation. In a September 2023 follow-up interview, Mosier admitted the child was not secured in a car seat and that she found him hanging from the rear driver's side window. Witnesses corroborated seeing the child's head or upper body out of the window during the drive, and evidence from Mosier's phone showed she regularly left Jordan unsecured while driving. Mosier was charged with child endangerment resulting in death, was convicted after a bench trial, and was sentenced to the maximum penalty of 50 years in prison plus $150,000 in restitution.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Multiple documents describe the mother's failure to properly supervise and secure the child while driving. The Sioux City Journal (document 1) states: "Witnesses and videos found on Mosier's phone revealed she regularly left Jordan unsecured while driving." Law&Crime (document 2) further states that "photographs and videos recovered from Mosier's phone reportedly showed that she regularly let Jordan roam freely throughout the car while she was driving instead of securing him in a child car seat, as required under Iowa state law for all kids under age 6." The child was able to get his head/upper body out of a car window while the vehicle was in motion, leading to his strangulation death.
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
The child's death occurred as a direct result of a motor vehicle incident. The child was unsecured in a moving vehicle and became strangled while hanging from the rear driver's side window during a drive. The Law&Crime article (document 2) states: "Mosier admitted that when she found Jordan, he was 'hanging' from the rear driver's side window of the vehicle." Witnesses also "told police that they saw Jordan's 'head or upper body' sticking out of the window during Mosier's drive that day." While not a crash, the death resulted from a motor vehicle incident involving an unrestrained child passenger.
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Billie Mosier is identified as the biological mother of Jordan Reed in all documents. The Sioux City Journal (document 1) refers to Mosier's "3-year-old son" and she was charged with child endangerment resulting in death. Document 4 states she was sentenced to 50 years for her "role in the strangulation death of her 3-year-old son."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Billie Mosier was arrested and charged with one count of child endangerment resulting in death. Document 1 states she "turned herself in on Thursday and was released from custody after posting a $25,000 bond." Document 4 reports she was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 50 years: "Plymouth County District Judge Jeffrey A. Neary on Friday ordered Billie Mosier to serve a sentence of 50 years in a state correctional facility."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge. First, the mother initially lied to investigators about the cause of death, claiming the child strangled on his car seat strap, when in fact the child was not even in a car seat. She did not admit the truth until a follow-up interview months later in September 2023. Second, document 4 (Law&Crime sentencing article) reports that Mosier received the maximum sentence of 50 years following a bench trial, along with $150,000 in restitution. Third, there is a notable discrepancy between documents regarding the maximum sentence: Documents 1 and 3 describe the charge as "a Class B felony that carries a 25-year prison sentence," while Documents 2 and 4 state the maximum penalty was 50 years, and Mosier was in fact sentenced to 50 years. This discrepancy may reflect a legal nuance in Iowa sentencing law or an error in the earlier reporting.
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